The sound of slippers hitting the floor made Moltres's already rapid heartbeat pound like a drum.
Oh no, I accidentally made a sound!
What should I do? Should I destroy all the evidence?
But even if I did that, I'd still end up getting beaten up.
Just as Moltres froze completely, Lucas hurried over with a group of Pokémon. When he saw the Moltres, standing stiff looking utterly rigid and visibly terrified, and beneath its feet, an egg in the incubator was flashing frantically like a stun grenade—
He instantly understood everything.
His racing heart gradually calmed, and the pressure that had built up all over Lucas's body dissipated in an instant. Only now did he realize his back was soaked in cold sweat.
"So that's what it was. You scared me to death." Lucas let out a long breath, glancing at the rigid Moltres and chuckling, "Relax, the egg's fine. It's just a sign that it's about to hatch."
Hearing Lucas's words, the five Pokémon, who looked fierce as demons, also relaxed from their battle stances. Realizing there was no danger, they each took a look at the egg, wished it a smooth hatching, yawned, and went back inside to sleep.
The false alarm came and went quickly.
Only Lucas and the relieved Moltres were left, staring at each other. After a few moments, Lucas broke the awkward silence: "Moltres, weren't you also hatched from a Pokémon egg? Why are you so worked up about this?"
Lucas was curious—did these genderless legendary Pokémon hatch from eggs, or were they born from nature itself?
Moltres stayed quiet for a while as if recalling old memories. After a moment, it gave a definite answer.
["When I first became conscious and opened my eyes, all I saw was magma around me. I don't recall anything about hatching from a Pokémon egg, or any glowing."]
Lucas nodded thoughtfully. From what Moltres said, it must've been born in a volcano and was likely naturally formed by nature itself.
Approaching Moltres, Lucas squatted and picked up the incubator, noticing that even the third bottle of nutrient solution had turned clear. In just a little over a week, this egg had absorbed almost all the nutrients that would normally take 21 days for a regular egg to absorb.
Watching the egg flash rhythmically, Lucas wondered with curiosity what kind of Pokémon would emerge from it.
Lucas suggested, "Let's move inside and wait for the egg to hatch. It's still a bit chilly outside, and we should provide a warm environment for the new life."
Moltres had no objections. After days of barely moving and just eating and sleeping, it slowly followed Lucas.
At the front door, Lucas opened both doors fully so the Moltres, with its wings tucked in, could just barely fit through.
Before Moltres entered, Lucas had asked—it explained that the flames on its body, like Ponyta's and Rapidash's, wouldn't burn the surroundings as long as it restrained them.
Otherwise, with all the flammable wooden furniture and floors in his cottage, Lucas would never let it in.
Bringing Moltres to the living room fireplace, Lucas threw in some firewood and looked at Moltres.
Moltres: "?"
Why are you looking at me like that?
Lucas sighed, "Light the fire! You're the only Fire-type here—I can't breathe fire. And just a few little flames, okay? Don't set my house on fire."
Moltres: "…"
Moltres never thought it would one day be reduced to the role of a lighter or match. After holding back for a while, it didn't get angry, only feeling that its temper had become a lot more stable during its days on this farm.
Rolling its eyes at Lucas, Moltres opened its beak and released three orange-red flames that landed in the fireplace, instantly igniting the wood. Warm yellow light spread from the hearth.
"Nice control," Lucas praised, clapping his hands. Moltres lifted its head proudly, quite pleased.
He moved the egg near the fireplace, with the warm Moltres nearby, creating the perfect environment for hatching a Pokémon.
Lucas also prepared several bottles of room-temperature Moomoo Milk, as well as hot water and big towels that he'd bought especially for this occasion.
At a Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy would use similar conditions for an egg hatching, aside from some monitoring equipment.
So, Lucas stayed by the fireplace with Moltres, occasionally adding firewood and watching over the egg.
They sat like that for the whole day.
Until all the Pokémon who had been out working on the farm came inside, surrounding the egg in several layers. As dusk set in, the egg's flashing reached a peak.
It was now almost constantly glowing, like a bright lightbulb.
Tension filled the air—even the usually lively Gossifleur twins sat quietly beside Eldegoss.
Finally, as the light reached its peak, the clear sound of an eggshell cracking snapped everyone to attention.
Crack, crack—!
The shell broke faster and faster. The little life inside knew this was its one chance to break free. The nutrients Lucas had provided gave it strength, and it pushed with all its might, using its tiny horn to break through the shell.
In the hushed room, even Moltres silently cheered on the little life in the egg alongside Lucas.
Moltres wasn't sure if it had been affected by Lucas and the others, or if, in these few short days, it had developed new feelings from being so close to the egg.
Once, it had viewed all weaklings as mere ants. Now, Moltres sincerely hoped that the tiny life in the egg would make it into the world.
The hatching lasted only three minutes, but those three minutes felt like a whole year.
"Oooh~~~"
At the moment when dusk turned to night, a short, loud cry—like the break of dawn—heralded new life.
Relief spread across Lucas's face as he whispered, "Welcome to this beautiful world, little one!"